Drivers and passengers of motor vehicles are from time to time subjected to undesirable lighting situations originating from outside the motor vehicle. For example, the sun may be low on the horizon and be shining brightly through the windshield, or the sun may be bothersome as it shines through a side window. For these and other situations of the sort, sun visors are provided adjacent the windshield to assist alleviation of illumination discomfort.
As can be understood from FIG. 1, a prior art sun visor 10 is pivotally mounted to a pivot rod 12, which includes a ninety degree elbow 14, which is rotatably mounted to a structural component of the motor vehicle via a mounting cap 18 which is fastened thereto, as for example by screws. By way of example, the elbow 14 is rotatably attached to the mounting cap 18 in a spring loaded manner via a compression spring, wherein the spring provides frictional resistance as the elbow is rotated with respect to the mounting cap. Typically, a sun visor is mounted, as generally described, at each of the left and right sides of the windshield 24 (only the driver-side sun visor being shown for simplification).
As can be further seen at FIG. 1, the pivot rod enables an occupant of the front seat to pivot the sun visor 10 to a storage location A adjacent the headliner 28 to a deployed location B so as to selectively occlude the windshield 24 by pivoting on the pivot rod 12 (along arrows P), which pivoting may well exceed ninety degrees. Further, the rotation afforded the elbow 14 allows the pivot rod 12 with its associated sun visor 10 to be rotated from a location adjacent the windshield 24 to an auxiliary location C adjacent the adjoining side door window 26 via a rotation of the elbow (along arrows R), a rotation which may exceed ninety degrees. A further exemplar description of a prior art sun visor is contained in U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,593 to Hennessey.
Increasing emphasis on the aesthetics and utility of sun visors has transpired. Today, a sun visor is expected to be a complement to, and blend handsomely with, the interior appointments of the motor vehicle. Additionally, a sun visor is expected to be both versatile and functional beyond those enumerated with respect to FIG. 1.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,579 to Miller et al describes a snap-in vanity mirror located at an inner side panel of the sun visor; U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,518 to Roark et al describes a sun visor having a vanity mirror and a pair of vanity lamps, one at either side of the vanity mirror; U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,233 to Clark describes a sun visor assembly structured so that the sun visor is axially slidable on the pivot rod; and finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,776 to Agro et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,490 to Fink et al describe sun visors provided with a vanity mirror and vanity lighting, wherein the sun visor is axially slidable on the pivot rod, wherein the former provides an electrical connection via detent contacts at the retracted position (power not being available during sliding), and the latter provides electrical power via coiling of wiring (which over time can fail due to stresses of wire flexing).
What remains needed in the art is a full feature sun visor assembly in which the sun visor has a vanity mirror and vanity lighting, wherein the sun visor is pivotal, rotatable and axially slidable relative to its mounting, and wherein the siding feature supplies electrical power to the vanity lighting at all slide positions, and wherein power delivery is mechanically dependable and electrically reliable.
What additionally, remains needed in the art is a full feature sun visor which further includes integrated reading lights.